I hear those Christmas bells ringing...

Okay, maybe they're just in MY head. Is anyone else getting bit by the jingle bells bug yet?

Over the weekend I took a trip to the grandparents-in-law house. We arrived to a cozy house warmed by an open fire and a yummy dinner... and surrounded by family at the dinner table it just felt like Christmas! We stayed up late playing games and reminiscing over old photo albums... it doesn't get much better than that. Here are a few pictures from the trip.





My Christmas spirit, aided by some good ol' silent night melodies, continued on into my evening as I completed one of my challenges! Goodwill and 2nd Ave thrift stores were like giant sized presents! And the store displays were proof as Holiday memorabilia littered their shelves. I returned home with:

2- green Christmas wreaths.... a steal at 97cents each
1- big box of shatterproof Christmas ball ornaments in varying sizes and colors... 5 buckaroos
1- roll of leftover tulle from our wedding in March... free! (well, kinda)

After wiring each of the ornaments onto the wreath I wove the tulle throughout the wreath. I ended the night with this... I think I'm going to add more of the ornaments since I have 1/2 the box left.

L.A. P.a.z. P.E.A.C.E.

I DIY"ed" ... It's my little slice of Heaven here on Earth

Since moving into our apartment in March, I have been slowly transforming the space into "home." It's the perfect project for me since it never gets old (there is always a new season to decorate for) and I can mold some of my former pre-marriage hobbies into some sort of decorating diva persona. And here is where I insert plugs for my favorite spots of inspiration. If you haven't already heard of them, get over to Young House Love's (YHL) amazing blog. They do the coolest things, not to mention the million and one fantastic ideas they blog about. It's the mecca of aspiring DIYers and my daily cup o' Joe. Lately I've been mixing it up a bit with PB. Peanut butter you ask? No, not for this self proclaimed interior designer. It's Pottery Barn... the other mecca :). I am in love with their stuff, but not even to fork over the $$$ for their price tags. This is where I introduce my new favorite hobby! I think I found one that will stick!!

THRIFTING: refers to the act of shopping at a thrift store, flea market, garage sale, or a shop of a charitable organization, usually with the intent of finding interesting items at a cheap price.

I die, I DIY. Those defining words speak to my very soul! Shopping, Charitable Organization, Finding, Interesting items, and the best for last: Cheap price! My Mennonite heart beats hard for those bargains!

So, in a effort to combine all of those sweet sounding melodies into one amazing musical composition, I'm challenging myself to accomplish these 4 designs below... all before Christmas! The rules are plain.... I have to use my creative, God given gifts, shop at local charities/ thrift stores, and accomplish each by December 22 (gotta make sure they're completed by the time we have Christmas visitors!)

The Challenges:

#1 Create this Pottery Barn centerpiece....


#2 Recover this lamp shade (the lamp is a $5 thrift find!) ... inspired by a YHL project



#3 Update this door with a seasonal wreath...



#4 Make or thrift find Christmas Stockings and come up with a way to hang them


Wish me luck! And I'll keep you posted!

P.E.A.C.E.

FALLing in love...

Hello Fall, it's good to see you again!

I just love, love, LOVE Fall! Well, actually, I love the turn of every season, although somewhere in the heart of winter, when the snow storms hit, I send a few curses to the sky for their creation of slip-n-slide roads and my frost bitten toes! I just hate driving in snow.... but back to Fall, my lovely, lovely Fall :) I have been "itching" to get one of those pretty mums for our porch, and maybe a pumpkin to brighten it up. Speaking of pumpkin, I picked up a can of (what I thought was) pumpkin at the store the other day as inspiration for some autumn treats and aromas to fill our little apartment. On the drive home I was practically salivating thinking about the pumpkin roll that was soon to be mine..... only to my disappointment a can of "pumpkin pie MIX" came out of that grocery bag. LAME! but..... then something magical happened and these were filling my kitchen with such a sweet aroma, and once again, I was happy!

Well hello, Pumpkin Crumble Muffin....

And.... we've officially been "boo'ed." Oh Lansdale, you have so many neighborhood games :) that's all folks! stop by again soon :)